Sunday, 10 February 2013

Film festival: Three day FiLUMS to screen 90 films

Almost 90 films will be
screened at the LUMS International Film Festival FiLUMS 2013 that opened here
on Friday.

More than 200
participants have registered before the official opening ceremony. The festival
is expected to draw 400 to 500 visitors.

FiLUMS 2013 is the
seventh edition of the festival organized by the LUMS Media Arts Society.
Taimur Abdullah, convener of FiLUMS 2012 told The Express Tribune that the
festival aims to provide a platform for upcoming film-makers.

“The festival can be
viewed as a platform where young talent can showcase their work… even get
acknowledgement,” said Abdullah, who is in his final year at LUMS and is an
amateur film-maker.

Sixty local and 30
international films have been shortlisted for screening. With the Kara Film
Festival not being organised, says Abdullah, FiLUMS has taken centre stage.

“Pakistan needs
festivals where talent gets appreciated and new avenues explored”, he said.

Screening of movies
will be followed by workshops. This year, two films will premiere at the
festival, Seedlings – which received the Best Picture Award at the New York
Film Awards last year and a local feature titled Fatima.

Awards are offered in
four categories: animation, documentaries, short film and feature length film.
Most entries received have been in the feature-length and short film
categories, said Abdullah, who has been associated with FiLUMS for three years.

Some of the short
listed entries have come from National College of Arts, Punjab University,
Beaconhouse National University and the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute
of Science and Technology.

Abdullah said a panel
of core team members of the organising team shortlists the entries for
screening during the festival. Following the screening, the jury gives out its
verdict for the awards. The jury this year: Behroze Sabzwari, Saleem Sheikh,
Bushra Ansari, Mikaal Zulfikaar, Juggan Kazim, Shehzad Rafique, Seemi Raheel,
Bilal Lashari and Sania Saeed.

The shortlisted
international entries are from Russia, Japan, Mexico and the United States.
Osman Mazhar, media director FiLUMS said the films will be screened with
subtitles.

Mazhar, who is in his
sophomore year at LUMS, says besides the screening the festival also attracts
participants because of its social events.

“These events get a lot
of attention… participants also get a chance to interact with the celebrities”,
he said. The social events include dinners, premiers and the award night. Amna
Kardar, Mehreen Raheel, Meesha Shafi, Bilal Lashari, Seemi Raheel and Saba
Qamar are among the celebrities attending this year’s festival.